Do a fresh install of Windows 11 while preserving ability to revert back to a factory reset

357mag · Monday at 11:01 PM

I would like to do a fresh install of Windows 11. I purchased an ASUS Vivobook Laptop recently that I like quite a bit. It is my understanding that it is possible to recover your computer to it's factory state because there is a recovery partition when you look in disk management. Actually, my laptop has two recovery partitions. I guess Windows makes one and ASUS makes the other. Here is what I see when I look in disk management:

Disk 0
Healthy (EFI System) Partition
Healthy (Recovery Partition)
Healthy (Recovery Partition)
OS: C (Healthy Boot, Page File...)

I guess what I'd like to ask is can I do a fresh install of Windows 11 and still have the ability to restore my computer back to its factory state like it was when I first got it?

If I want the ability to do this, should I not delete any recovery partitions when installing Windows fresh? I don't know which Recovery Partiton ASUS made and which partition Windows made.

Also, I do not store any personal data on my C:\ drive. All that is kept on an external drive.

I guess I would like some advice or clarity on this.

I will add that I use Acronis True Image to make all of my backup images.

Berton · Monday at 11:28 PM

If I were doing it I'd start with an in-place upgrade of the same version and build first, avoid losing anything. Changing any of those smaller partitions on the drive can cause loss of the factory restore function. I've done it using the USB Thumb drive [8GB] made using the MCT/Microsoft Media Creation Tool but not booted to it, just ran the setup.exe file on it.

antspants · 2025-05-06T00:42:54-0400

357mag said:
to recover your computer to it's factory state because there is a recovery partition when you look in disk management.

They could both very well be Windows Recovery Partitions. Did you upgrade from 23H2 to 24H2? This is a good point at which Windows can make a 2nd Recovery Partition

You haven’t specified your exact build.
You haven’t specified your exact ASUS model.
Also, please show a screenshot of Disk Management

- Re Disk Management: Windows Recovery Partitions are generally under 1GB (Not a rule) The ASUS Recovery Partition would most likely be around or over 3GB?

What does ASUS say about Factory Reset on their website for your Laptop? As we have no idea what it is, we cannot look.
Some vendors ask you to download the factory setup. Like a couple of Dell’s I have owned.

357mag · 2025-05-06T01:38:43-0400

Build is 26100. Model is F1605VA. I have enclosed a screenshot of Disk Management.

idgat · 2025-05-06T01:42:06-0400

357mag said:
I guess what I'd like to ask is can I do a fresh install of Windows 11 and still have the ability to restore my computer back to its factory state like it was when I first got it?

What I do with every new computer (*mine or others)
- OOB image (tin-foil hat mode ... Macrium Reflect AND Acronis Backupper + boot USBs)
- backup (copy) image files
- clean install

SIW2 · 2025-05-06T01:48:30-0400

That 1.03gb is not big enough for a factory image.

have a look with something like diskgenius free version and see what is inside them

run diskgenius click on the partition in diskgenius left pane

click the FILES tab

DiskGenius Download Center | Free Download DiskGenius

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SIW2 · 2025-05-06T01:54:04-0400

I would like to do a fresh install of Windows 11.

If that is a 13th gen intel you might need a minor faff with irst drivers to do an install from booted media or turn off vmd in bios if it is there

apparently not need for loonylake with 24h2

[Windows 11/10] Troubleshooting - Cannot Find Drives When Installing Windows OS | Official Support | ASUS Global

antspants · 2025-05-06T02:13:55-0400

357mag said:
Build is 26100. Model is F1605VA. I have enclosed a screenshot of Disk Management.

I can’t see how either of those Recovery Partitions could possibly hold a Factory Reset state. My guess is that they are both created by Windows.

Having said that, the only reference to factory settings in your Laptop manual, is that Windows allows a reset (Windows reset in Windows settings). So maybe, just maybe, that smaller recovery (260MB) partition holds propriatorey info/setting/bloatware? Although I doubt that very much.
The other Recovery Partition I can only guess is a Windows created Recovery Partition.

Another possibility is that you cannot see the Factory Reset partition by design.
There is also a section in the manual for “Recovering Your System” but it uses Windows Reset options
Somehow maybe, the propriatorey install is tied in to this, also by design

As @SIW2 mentions, you’ll have to inspect all partitions on the drive, properly.

antspants · 2025-05-06T02:23:00-0400

Just to mention. My Lenovo Yoga laptop created the recovery partition info when I first ran its propriatorey software/driver updater.
Did your laptop come with anything installed, ASUS software? Have you inspected it?

EDIT: Maybe it was my Dell. It’s all a blur.

Winuser · 2025-05-06T17:36:39-0400

SIW2 said:
That 1.03gb is not big enough for a factory image.

I seem to remember that years ago, the OEMs made you run a program that created the factory recover partition. Is it possible that that is what the the 1.03GB partition is?

BamaInArk · 2025-05-06T17:56:38-0400

1. I wonder if the Asus Vivobook Recovery uses the Cloud to reinstall?

2. Looking at the screenshot of Disk Management it appears Asus is using a VERY old version of a/the Windows installer. The actual OS is at the end of the partition. Windows changed that years ago where the Recovery Partition is now placed at the end.

There may be a way to add the Asus Recovery utility on a bootable flash drive...for future usage. However in your case I could see doing a Clean install might be the better option to at least get the partition alignment in line with a modern Windows installation.

antspants · 2025-05-06T17:59:39-0400

The only reason you would want a factory reset as apposed to a clean install of Windows 11, in my opinion, would be because you want the bloatware. You can download bloatware from ASUS.

I’d clean the drive and clean install.

SIW2 · 2025-05-06T21:05:41-0400

Winuser said:
I seem to remember that years ago, the OEMs made you run a program that created the factory recover partition. Is it possible that that is what the the 1.03GB partition is?

Those oem programs created an image of the os. 1.03gb is too small to house the image.

garlin · 2025-05-06T21:20:37-0400

1 GB is enough to host a WinRE image with a Cloud Recovery client.

Marcus Vinicus · 2025-05-06T22:10:34-0400

I own a very similar Asus laptop to the OP of this thread. Mine has a MyAsus Recovery Environment Partition which is accessible via Advanced Startup in Windows >> Troubleshoot option.

A quick way to check if there is an MyAsus RE on an Asus Laptop open the Command Prompt or Powershell with elevated privileges type diskpart hit enter then list volume and MYASUS partition will be listed if it exists. On my X1605VA Vivobook laptop the partition is 260mb and is FAT32. The partition is named MYASUS.

I use AOMEI Backupper for system backups on both my Windows computers.

SIW2 · 2025-05-07T00:24:51-0400

On my X1605VA Vivobook laptop the partition is 260mb and is FAT32. The partition is named MYASUS.

What is in it ? Can you post a screenshot of the contents?

Marcus Vinicus · 2025-05-07T00:57:37-0400

SIW2 said:
What is in it ? Can you post a screenshot of the contents?

There is nothing in there.

SIW2 · 2025-05-07T01:46:25-0400

Marcus Vinicus said:
There is nothing in there.

MyAsus Recovery Environment Partition which is accessible via Advanced Startup in Windows >> Troubleshoot option.

Is it accessing nothing?

Winuser · 2025-05-07T07:48:09-0400

SIW2 said:
Those oem programs created an image of the os. 1.03gb is too small to house the image.

I'm not saying the 1.03GB is the backup image. I seem to remember that the OEMs hid the program to make the recovery disk on a separate partition. It's been many years since I made a OEM recover disk so I could be thinking of something else.

Bree · 2025-05-07T09:01:11-0400

357mag said:
I would like to do a fresh install of Windows 11. I purchased an ASUS Vivobook Laptop recently that I like quite a bit. It is my understanding that it is possible to recover your computer to it's factory state because there is a recovery partition when you look in disk management.

Welcome to Eleven Forum.

An OEM recovery partition used to be the norm up to Windows 8. Starting with Windows 10 it is possible to reinstall Windows from its own files in the WinSxS component store. For OEMs this allowed a factory reset without the need for a separate OEM recovery partition. All their customisations, drivers, and OEM utilities would be restored from provisioning packages in the C:\Recovery folder.

This also meant OEMs could stop providing a recovery CD or USB with new PCs. Users can make their own 'factory reset' USB, including all the OEM drivers/software, by making a Recovery Drive that includes system files.

Create Recovery Drive in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to create a bootable USB recovery drive that boots to advanced startup (WinRE) to troubleshoot, restore, or recover Windows 11. If your PC won’t start, you can use a recovery drive to restore from a system restore point or recover your PC. It's a good idea to...

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